There was plenty of moving and shaking during MLS NEXT Pro's Matchweek 9 action, which saw new teams jump to the top of the league standings, as well as the Western Conference.
Chattanooga FC became the first club to reach 20 points after earning a 2-1 road win over Inter Miami II. St. Louis CITY2 moved to first place in the West after continuing a stellar run of form with its fourth-straight regulation win.
FC Cincinnati 2 also continued to impress by earning their fourth win in a row, thanks to the heroics of 17-year-old Stefan Chirila.
Ventura County FC and LAFC2 were among the clubs to suffer setbacks in their matches.
Here is a closer look at MLS NEXT Pro's Top 10 Power Rankings following Matchweek 9:
10.) Chicago Fire II
Back-to-back defeats didn't kick Chicago Fire II out of the Matchweek 9 Power Rankings, but it moved them to the brink of doing so.
A 4-2 home loss to NYCFC II on Monday dropped Fire II to fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The road doesn't get any easier for Fire II with Columbus Crew 2 coming to SeatGeek Stadium on Friday.
Last Match: 4-2 loss vs. NYCFC II
Next Match: vs. Columbus Crew 2 on Friday, May 24
9.) FC Cincinnati 2
FC Cincinnati 2 is flying high right now in MLS NEXT Pro.
Stefan Chirila's winning goal on Sunday proved to be the difference as FCC2 defeated in-state rivals Columbus Crew 2 by a 1-0 scoreline. FCC2 have won four-straight matches this spring, boosting them into the top-four of the Eastern Conference.
A trip to New York Red Bulls II this weekend should be another good test for the surging squad.
Last Match: 1-0 win at Columbus Crew 2
Next Match: at New York Red Bulls II on Sunday, May 19
8.) North Texas SC
A first regulation loss of 2024 won't be the biggest worry for North Texas SC.
John Gall's men fell 1-0 at The Town FC on Sunday, which marked their first defeat of the new season. Despite being shutout, NTX did their best to find the back of the net, forcing Jacob Jackson into four saves.
Back-to-back home matches against Timbers2 and Real Monarchs provide NTX with a great opportunity to get back on the winning trail.
Last Match: 1-0 loss at The Town FC
Next Match: vs. Timbers2 on Saturday, May 18.
7.) New York Red Bulls II
New York Red Bulls II suffered a midweek loss to Orlando City B before receiving a needed break this past weekend.
After suffering two losses in their last three matches, Red Bulls II will hope their Matchweek 9 bye gives them the energy they need to get back on track. Red Bulls II returns home for back-to-back home matches against FC Cincinnati 2 and Philadelphia Union II respectively.
Last Match: Bye Week
Next Match: vs. FC Cincinnati 2 on Sunday, May 19
6.) Philadelphia Union II
Philadelphia Union II enjoyed a bye week but returns to action in Matchweek 10.
Marlon LeBlanc's youthful squad has been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, most recently defeating Huntsville City FC 2-0 in Matchweek 8 action. Union II visits New England Revolution II this Sunday in what should be an intriguing showdown between two dynamic attacking units.
Last Match: Bye Week
Next Match: at New England Revolution II on Sunday, May 19
5.) Sporting KC II
Matchweek 9 featured a needed bounce-back victory for Sporting KC II.
Beto Avila struck twice in the second half while Kamron Habibullah added two assists in SKC II's 2-1 triumph over Colorado Rapids 2. The Avila-Habibullah connection has continued to terrorize opposing backlines this season and that trend is likely to continue this spring.
Last Match: 2-1 win vs. Colorado Rapids 2
Next Match: at Austin FC II on Friday, May 17
4.) Ventura County FC
After earning back-to-back shootout wins, Ventura County FC was unable to do so in Matchweek 9.
VCFC suffered a 1-0 road loss at MNUFC2, watching Loic Mesanvi celebrate a 92nd minute winning goal. The result marked the first time in league play this year where VCFC has failed to find the back of the net.
A home match against Real Monarchs quickly approaches in Matchweek 10.
Last Match: 1-0 loss at MNUFC2
Next Match: vs. Real Monarchs on Sunday, May 19
3.) St. Louis CITY2
One of the biggest movers this week was St. Louis CITY2, who continued to ride their current unbeaten run.
Bobby Murphy's squad made it four-straight victories on Sunday after defeating Austin FC II 2-1 at home. Mykhi Joyner broke the deadlock for the hosts before Wan Kuzain's last-gasp winner helped CITY2 avoid a shootout.
CITY2 has posted the second-best defensive record in the West, conceding only seven goals to date in eight matches.
Last Match: 2-1 win vs. Austin FC II
Next Match: at Houston Dynamo 2 on Wednesday, May 22
2.) LAFC2
LAFC2's three-match winning run came to an end on Sunday after falling 4-3 at home to Whitecaps FC 2.
Junior Gonzalez's squad grabbed a 3-2 lead late in the second half, but eventually conceded two goals to fall on home soil. Tomas Angel registered a brace as one of the bright spots for the club while Leo Flores added his third goal of the campaign.
Last Match: 4-3 loss vs. Whitecaps FC 2
Next Match: at The Town FC on Sunday, May 19
1.) Chattanooga FC
Chattanooga FC have moved to the top spot of MLS NEXT Pro after extended their current regulation unbeaten streak to three matches.
CFC defeated Inter Miami II by a 2-1 scoreline on Friday, using goals from Jesus Ibarra and Mehdi Ouamri to do so. With only one regulation defeat in nine matches played, CFC have backed down to nobody, setting an early pace for the the No. 1 spot in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
Last Match: 2-1 win at Inter Miami II
Next Match: at Crown Legacy FC on Wednesday, May 15
